The best iPad/iPhone music-making apps in the world today

The finest iOS DAWs, synths, effects, grooveboxes and drum machines

Although there will be some who'll try and tell you different, iOS music making apps are not just toys. Many of them are extremely accessible, certainly, but this isn't to their detriment. And, if you want to get serious, you'll also find plenty of apps that boast features that are on a par with those of their desktop cousins.

What's more, there's more than one way to approach these apps. If you're looking for something that you can just pass a few minutes with on your commute, it's out there, while other releases can serve as great musical sketchpads that will enable you to start tracks that can later be worked on in your full Mac or PC DAW.

If you want to start building the ultimate iOS studio, there's no better place to start.

That said, there's also software that enables you to create productions from start to finish and, thanks to the likes of Audiobus and Inter-App Audio, you can actually use multiple apps together in a single project.

Don't dismiss the idea of using your iPad or iPhone as part of your home studio setup, either. It's never been easier to shuttle MIDI and audio between Apple's desktop and mobile OSs, and there are also apps that enable you to turn your iOS device into a powerful MIDI controller.

At MusicRadar, we've been taking a keen interest in the music-making app market from the very beginning, bringing you news and reviews of the best releases. Below you'll find links to our round-ups of what we believe to be the best DAWs/workspaces, synths, effects, grooveboxes and drum machines in the world today, so if you want to start building the ultimate iOS studio, there's no better place to start.